SA or just playing up?

Except for one occasion, for the last year Pereg is not left for more than about half an hour at a time while I go across the road to the little shop. She knows I am going out, sits and watches me get ready without reacting, waits until I am outside the door and it is closed and locked, then starts crying.

She cries while I am going up the path but then stops, and according to my neighbour there is no further sound from her.

She obviously hears me when I come back as she makes the "eeep eeep" excited noise when she hears me at the top of the path, and carried on "eeep eeep" until I open the door and greet her, and once I have greeted her she backs off to let me in and then she rummages in her chew/toy box for something to chomble/play with.

Is she suffering from SA or is she just playing up? I think it is the latter and maybe I am reading too much into her behaviour, as this only started fairly recently. But as it is a fairly recent thing I am beginning to wonder if it is SA and if I am doing something wrong and/or should be doing things differently.

All and any advice appreciated.

Sounds like SA especially if not left more than 1/2 hour at a time. Have you got a kong toy to keep her distracted while you are out, thinking it might keep her occupied for this short time?

She does not try to come out with me and only cries while I am going up the path, but it is a bit of a puzzle to me as to why she has only very recently started doing this.

Hi Malka, it doesn't sound like SA to me, more of a 'complaint' that you haven't taken Pereg with you. The fact that she doesn't cry for long presumably means she isn't terribly distressed. One of mine cries for about a minute when I go out - even if it's just out of the room When I return he doesn't go crazy and I don't make a big thing of it when I walk back in. In spite of my two being litter-mate brothers they are just so different
I'm sure it's nothing you are doing wrong -I think Pereg has a very privileged lifestyle with you

Dosent sound like SA to me - but can you set up a camera to film her and see how settled she is - it might give you peace of mind

I wouldnt say playing up - but she is most likely trying to get your attention, once you are gone she knows she cant get you so she chills

It might be better to leave her somewhere she cant watch you out the window so when you are gone you are gone, but if the neighbours dont mind it dosent sound like she is that distressed really

Sounds more like a 'take me with you mom. Go on, you know you want to' to me

All the dogs I've had have either whined or given a little yap when I go out the door and settle as soon as they know it's not their turn to go with me.

Pereg cannot see me out of the window as the door is at the side and the path goes up diagonally away from the bungalow. She sits on the mat just inside watching me go out, and stays there until the door is closed and locked - I doubt she even moves from the mat, probably just flonks down.

She does not bark and her crying is not loud, more like quiet whines. It is not as if she is howling. The house the other side is quite a way up the road and they could not hear her even if she was barking loudly, and my neighbour this side says she does not hear her, which she would if Pereg was any louder or carried on.

I think I am just worrying too much, as I always do if her behaviour is different in any way, and I always worry when I am away from her, just in case...

I think its a take me with you rather than SA.

My lot all howl when we first go out, as soon as we are out of sight they stop they know by then we arent going to change our minds and take them with us.

If this were all that there was to SA, then I would not mind in having lived with dogs over the past 15 years who suffer in the extreme from SA.

To me, this is just the normal and very understandable protests from a loyal dog who was does want to be separated from their pack leader for a period of time. You are extremely lucky that you can leave her for even this short amount of time without damage.

My two would most likely have eaten through the front door in that time!

This might not be SA but to be honest, I would get her used to being apart from you more often and for longer periods of time so she does not develop true SA. If ever you had to leave her for longer, or even go away for a time, it would be much harder for her if she has never been apart from you for more than a half hour.